Violin-bridge.



N0. 809,174. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. T. L. DAVIS.

VIOLIN BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO. 1905.

THOMAS L. DAVIS, OF SPEEDVVELL, TENNESSEE.

VIOLIN-BRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed ay 10,1905. Serial No. 259,848.

T0 in whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Speedwell, in the county of Claiborne, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violin-Bridges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to bridges for violins and similar stringed instruments, and has for its object to provide a bridge which will be so constructed as to give a bell-like sound to the instrument and which will tend to sweeten the tone thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the specilic construction shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims and that any suitable materials may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an elevation of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a hollow body portion 5, the sides 6 of which are somewhat rounded and meet to form a central longitudinallyextending upwardly-curved ridge 7 at the top of the body portion, which receives the strings of the instrument thereupon.

The bottom of the bridge is flattened, as shown at 8, and has spaced feet 9, which rest upon the surface of an instrument to hold the body portion in spaced relation thereto. The body portion is divided longitudinally along the line of the ridge 7 into two sections 9and 10, the meeting portions of these sections being glued or otherwise fastened together and extending transversely of the body portion therewithin, and at the center thereof there is a pin 11, which is disposed horizontally and which is secured at its ends to the inner surfaces of the sections 9 and 10. Mounted upon this pin there is a resonant body 12, which consists of a metallic plate disposed longitudinally of the body portion 5 and having a central opening 13, in which the pin 11 is engaged, and this plate is curved transversely, as shown. The section 10 of the body portion has a plurality of openings 14 therein arranged .in a series surrounding one end of the pin 1]. It will thus be seen that the vibration of the strings of an instrument is communicated to the body portion and is transmitted thereby through the pin 11 to the body 12.

It has been found that the bridge described in the foregoing tends to strengthen the tone and lengthen the sound of an instrument, to make the harmony more distinct, to sweeten the melody, to give the instrument a bell-like sound, and it has also been found that the present bridge will hold its position upon an instrument much better than those of the type ordiiuirily used.

What is claimed. is

1. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a hollow body portion adapted for the reception of strings thereupon and a resonant body located within the body portion.

2. A bridge for musical instruments com prising a hollow body portion adapted for the reception of strings thereupon having openings in one of its walls and a resonant body located within the body portion.

3. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a hollow body portion adapted to receive strings thereupon, a transversely-extending pin secured at one end to one of the walls of the body portion and lying within the latter, and a resonant body disposed upon the pin, said wall of the body portion having a plurality of openings therein arranged in a series surrounding the pin.

4. A bridge for musical instruments com prising a hollow body portion adapted to re ceive strings thereupon, a pin located therewithin and secured to the body portion and a resonant body mounted upon the pin.

5. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a hollow body portion adapted to receive strings thereupon, a pin disposed within the body portion and secured at its ends to the walls thereof and a resonant body mounted upon the pin.

6. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a hollow body portion adapted to re ceive strings thereupon including two sections, a pin disposed within the body portion and secured at its ends to the sections.

7. A bridge for musical instruments co1nprising a hollow body portion having a stringreceiving portion, and a resonant body located within the body portion.

8. As an article of manufacture a bridge for musical instruments comprising'two hollowed sections open at one side, said sections being disposed with their open faces against each other and being secured together, a transversely-extending pin secured at its ends to the sections and a longitudinallyextending metallic plate located within the body portion. and having an opening in which the pin is engaged, said plate being transversely curved.

9. A bridge for musical instruments com prising a hollow body portion having a stringreceiving portion, a pin located within the body portion and secured at its ends to opposite points upon the walls thereof to receive vibrations therefrom, and a resonant body mounted upon the pin.

10. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a vibratory body portion and a resonan t body connected with the bod y portion to receive vibrations therefrom.

1. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a body portion and a resonant body connected therewith, said .body comprising a transversely-curved metallic plate.

12. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a hollow body portion, a resonant body located within the body portion and a support for the body.

13. A device of the class described comprising a hollowbody portion having a stringreceiving ridge at its top, supporting-feet carried by the body portion, a pin located. within the body portion and a resonant plate mounted upon the pin.

14. A bridge for musical instruments comprising a body portion including two longitudinally-extending sections having outer faces meeting at an angle at their upper edges to form a string-receiving ridge, a transverselyeXtending pin secured at each end to one of the sections and lying within the body portion and a resonant body mounted upon the pin.

15. A bridge for musical instruments com prising a body portion including two hollow sections disposed with their hollow portions toward each other and having the edges of the hollow portions [lat and in mutual contact, the outer faces of the sections being curved and meeting at one edge at an angle to form a string-receiving ridge at the top of the body, said ridge being curved outwardly from end to end of the body portion, a support within the body portion adapted to receive strings thereupon, and a metallic sounding-plate carried by the support, each section having a plurality of perforations thereth rough communicating with the hollow thereof.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS l DAV 1S.

Witnesses:

CHARLIE RIDDLE, CHAS. BEELER. 

